By Mark Curriden
(Aug. 23) – Houston-based energy giant ConocoPhillips is expected to name Baker Botts corporate transactional partner Kelly Brunetti Rose as its new general counsel, The Texas Lawbook has learned.
Multiple legal sources confirm that Rose, who has represented ConocoPhillips and several other major oil and gas companies in dozens of billion-dollar mergers, acquisitions, joint ventures and securities offerings, will replace retiring ConocoPhillips GC Janet Langford Carrig.
Carrig, a former partner at Sidley Austin, joined ConocoPhillips in 2006 as deputy general counsel and was promoted to the chief legal officer position a year later. She announced her retirement in February. Carrig is highly respected within the Houston business community and serves as the chair of the Houston Grand Opera Board. The Texas General Counsel Forum announced last month that it is honoring Carrig with its Lifetime Achievement Award.
ConocoPhillips, which declined to comment for this article, has about 80 lawyers in its corporate legal department. The energy company’s hiring of Rose demonstrates a trend of large businesses to hire lawyers from their outside law firms instead of promoting someone from within the company to be its general counsel. Five years ago, Halliburton hired Robb Voyles, also a partner at Baker Botts, to be its general counsel.
“When I heard that ConocoPhillips was looking for someone and they asked for my recommendation, only one person came to mind, and that was Kelly,” Voyles told The Texas Lawbook in an interview Thursday.
“Kelly is a great addition for ConocoPhillips,” said Voyles, who noted that Rose has been his lead outside counsel from Baker Botts since he joined Halliburton. “She’s an expert on all things corporate governance and she’s spent a lot of time guiding corporate boards and senior executives. She is well-suited for the job.”
A 1991 graduate of the University of Florida Fredric Levin College of Law, Rose has spent her entire 27-year career at Baker Botts.
Rose has led some of the largest oil and gas M&A deals in Texas over the past two decades. She has represented Halliburton, Shell Oil Company, Linn Energy and Waste Management in an assortment of large transactions.
Carrig continues to serve as ConocoPhillip’s general counsel until Rose takes the position.